These are just my thoughts. Hopefully they come out clear... Lol.
I don't think he left on his own, or willingly, at the same time i'm not sure about the suicide angle, I'm leaning away from that, but there are so many questions unanswered.
We have virtually nothing from LE and info only seems to be coming from one source.
Why run errands ( scrap yard then leave wallet and cash in garage) and make phone calls, 40 min call in morn to IM if your leaving. I think if he was planning on going he would have ignored that call and not even answered.
If there was evidence of a walk away wouldn't his profile be deleted or unavailable on namus and all other missing persons sites it appears on, or at least some mention along the lines of he "may" have left on his own?
I think his car was staged to be found in that spot. No scent... Etc. Not sure when it may have been placed there. It don't make sense. Also, why search for his car in an area he "hated" and where he supposedly hadn't been to in somewhere around 5 years?
IDK, this case makes my head spin and I may be completely off mark on my thoughts, but there they are.
Moo... and all that good stuff.